Trolling device



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Hrm/euer A. M. DAVIDSON `TROLLING DEVICE Filed Jan. 25, 1945 Jan. 155,194.6.

' '4am M. DHV/oso Jan, I15, 1946. l. A. M.4 DAVIDSQN 2,393,090

TROLLING DEVICE Filed Jan. 25 1945 2 sheets-shet 2 JNVENTOR.

l s LLEN M. Dru/losen g-E' Z' BY /MW HT ToRNeY Patented Jan. 15, 1946 A 2,393,o9o

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TROLLING DEVICE n Allen M. Davidson, South Bend., Ind. Application January 25, 1945, serialisio. 574,552

As claims. (c1.V 43;-4)

This invention relates to trolling devices, and more Vparticularly is concerned with a compact, adjustable trolling device for supporting a fish pole or the like from any desired position from within a boat, such Vas a row boat, canoe or the like, Aso that one individual may both row the boat and troll.

The present invention'ls an improvement upon the construction disclosed in Davidson et al. Patent No. 2,317,445, issued April 27, 1943.

-It is one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a device of this character which is adjustable to support the rod at any desiredangle of. elevation and at any desired position relative to the seat of the boat for holding the rod in proper position and yet accommodating ready removal of the sh pole from its support in case of a strike.

Another object .of the present invention is to provide means for holding the butt end of the iish pole in position for trolling operation at any desired-angle and elevation, but Vwhich is capable of immediate release of the rod so that itmay be rocked out of the holder without any necessity of adjusting or releasingv any mechanism.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a iish pole supporting `mechanism of this class in which the reel will kbe positioned away from the supporting device so as to allow free action thereof during shing.

A still further object of the invention is to provide adjustable means whereby, if desired, the pole may be securely locked inthe supporting device to prevent its release except by lifting the pole forward or outwardly and upwardly.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a simplification of design and reduction inl size and weight of the parts used without detracting in any manner from the required strength and rigidity of the unit as a whole,y

thereby providing a secure method of supporting the rod or pole in the rod holder, and eliminating any possibility of lateral movement of the rod at its forward points of support. This is accomplished by the use of a wedge-shaped grip seat wherein in combination withV the socket for the butt and the butt roller support the butt of the rod is laterally centered and firmly held in place in the supporting body. This maintains an upright position of the reel on thepole by the pressure of the rod in the V or wedge-shaped support, thus'eliminating the necessity of such construction to support `the reel against turning over. Other objects and advantages of the present inventionfappear more fully from thefollowing detailed Vdescription which, -taken in kconjunction withthe accompanying drawings, will disclose to those skilled in the art the particular construction and operation of `a preferred form of the present invention.

' In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the device, .Y partly in section,.i1lustrating it mounted in operative position;

Figure y2 is a .top plan View of the mechanism when folded for carrying purposes Figure 3 is van end elevational View, partly in section, .showing the rod supporting means; and

Figure 4 is a detail Velevational view of a modied .type ofconstruction Referring now in detail to the drawings, a boat seat is indicated fragmentarily at 5 4in Figure 1 and has, as is customary, a transverse edge portion 6to whichV the trolling device is adapted to beattached.

The trolling vdevice comprises a body member 1 having atlone end thereof a wing clam-pnut 8 which is adapted to clamp to the end of the body member- 1, the spring clamp' ngers 9 andv IIl.

vAs shown dndetail in Figure 1, the clamp ngers are arranged to clamp the body member below the plane of the seat, although. it is yobvious that the Vclamp can be reversed in position to raise the device into the plane of the seat if so desired.

The body member 1 at its oppositeV endis provided with a hinge I2, the opposite hinge element I3 thereof being secured toV a depending strut Amember I4,v which .member carries at its lower end a pointed spud I5 adapted tovbe pressed into `the floor IB of the boat.

It is thus apparent thatjthe member .I 4 can be swung into position as shown in Figure 1, .and the spud I5 is carried in a longitudinal `.slot I1 formed in the member I4, being adapted to be clamped position by the wing nut I8 and the clamping bolt 20 with the associated washer and carrier member I9.

Yceive the spud member I5 for holding .this mem- Secured tothe lower surface of the body member 1.as'fby means of the screws 22 is a resilient case-or clip member 23 which is adapted to reber andthe strut I4 in folded positionwheii the device isnot inuse.

Mounted `for longitudinal' sliding movement von the body portion 1 of the device is the .rod supporting' or carrier member't.A This member is supported by means of the sliding fibre washer members 26 and 21 Aengaging lthe opposite dening `surfaces oa narrow longitudinal slot 128 formed in the body portion 1. The elements 26 and 21 are frictlonally clamped on opposite sides of the body member 1 by means of the wing nut 29 carried by the stud 30, which stud extends through the carrier member and thence through the slot 28. Tightening of the nut 23 locks the member 25 in any adjusted position along the slot 28, thereby moving the member 25 toward or Vaway from the boat seat 5. In addition, this mechanism also provides for clamping the carrier member 251; in any angular position relative the longitudinal extent of the body member 1 so that the pole may be swung laterally toward either side of the boat, or may be directedl i straight rearwardly.

The carrier member 25 is provided intermediate its ends in the upper surface thereof with a socket portion 32, which portion is disposed slightly porting device, the butt end 83 thereof rocking out of the socket 32 so that the pole may be entirely removed.

However, if the pin member 48 is moved to the forward end of the slot and the roller 49 is then clamped in position over the butt end of the pole as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1, the roller is disposed beyond the rocking point of the butt end 33 of the pole in the socket 32, and consequently locks the pole against removal except by lifting the pole forwardly or outwardly when the pin member 46 is clamped in its forward position.

Thus, it will be apparent that with this construction the pole holding support provided by the carrier member 25 can be arranged to allow ready removal of the. pole by the fisherman or tion against accidental displacement, but can be y removed only by a forward or outward movement provided a transverse stud 36% which, as shown in Figure 3, extends through the member 25and at its opposite end is threaded to receive the wing nut 31.

Mounted by means of the stud 3B on the forward end of the carrier 25 are two parallelly eX- tending strut members 38 which, through suitable washers, may be frictionally clamped in any demember 25. Preferably, the strut'members 38 intermediate their ends are provided with a spacer 39 held in position bythe bolt 40 for holding the members 38 in fixed parallel relationship.

At theirupper ends the strut'members 38 are each provided with conically shaped polesup-v porting members 42 which face toward each other and which are clamped jto the upper ends of the strut members 38 by Vmeans'of the bolts 43'and the nuts 44. As will be apparent frornlig'ure 3,

this arrangement Aprovides' a Wedge-shaped; seatV orjsupportingjsaddle for receiving the handle portion 34 of the pole, the variation in diameter of the handle portionu 34 being takencareof by the conical surfaces of the members 42; 'i

'Adjacent the rear end of the carrier member 25 `there isjprovided a'transverse slot'45 which preferably is elongated in ay longitudinal direction andreceives the transverse pin 46 shown in'Figure 2. The pin 46 is threaded to receive a wing nut 41 for the purpose oficlam'ping lin adjustedthe slot 45,V as shown in Figure 1, the strut members 48 may be rotated forwardlyV to disposethe 'roller 49 in position, engaging over the butt end 33V of thepole 35. I In this position the strut memf bers 48'may be frictionally clamped Vby means of the wing nut 41, and will hold the pole against rocking about the support members 42 and resisting any downward movement of the-tipl end of thepole. However, when a strike occurs fand the fish attempts'V to run with the line, it Iisreadily `apparent Vthat by grasping the handle portion 34 sired angular position relative to the plane of the and then a lifting movementl Considering. new Figure,4, in this form of the invention I have disclosed a construction in which the cone-shaped members 42 carriedby thestrut 25Imefnbers 38 may havetheir lateralspacing adjusted by means oi oppositelythreaded portions 50 and 52 of a spindle member 53 having the attened end portion 54 for manual operation. This operates in somewhat the same manner as a turnbuckle sothatwhen rotated in one direction, 4the membersl 42 are' Vspread apart, 'ifjdesiredf or receivinga pole having a handle portion of larger diameter. Conversely, when the member 531s rotated in the opposite direction the lateral spacing betweenl thev members 4211s decreased, thereby arranging the device for holding the pole having a handle portion'of smaller diameter. It is therefore believed apparent that I have providedl for various adjustments of ther device forreceiving poleshaving handle portions of different diameters, and for' alsoproviding a device wherein the butt end of the pole may be of the pole and rocking it upwardly and vrearwardly. thepole can' be readily removed from the supiixed in position or maybe merely clamped for support'but 4providing for removal of the pole when-desired.' The adjustment' ofthe carrier member 25 allows a great range'of flexibility in 'the positioning of thepole, whilerthe supporting 'body member 1 and strut l4' insure the support of the device in any desired position Ywith reference toaboatseatf-V if fi A E -d Y While Iam aware'that various changes may be made virr certain of the details herein shownv and describedj do not intend to be limited except as deflnedby the scope and spiritof the Vappeirded l. Av 4trolling device comprising a generally longitudinal body-portiommeans at one end for frictionally clamping said body portion to a-boat seat, v'means atthefother end thereof for supporting said end from the oorvof theboat, a carceiving the handle portion of said pole vinterrne- "filata Sad'butt-.snd'and ,the ree1;.seatfths f0f, 'said last-named means being frictionally clamped in adjusted position to determine the elevation of said pole.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said `roller is so disposed relative to said socket that the butt end of said pole can be rocked out of position in said socket upon raising the tip end of the pole.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the pivotal mounting of said butt-clamping roller can be adjusted longitudinally of said carrier member.

4. The device of claim 1 including means carried by said pivotally mounted means at the forward end of said carrier member for varying the lateral spacing between said tapered support members.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said laterally spaced tapered support members comprise inwardly facing cone-shaped discs.

6. In a trolling device including a body portion adapted to be supported horizontally in a boat, a carrier member pivotally mounted thereon for lateral swinging movement and longitudinal ad justment, a socket in the upper face of said earn rier member intermediate the ends thereof for receiving the butt end of a iish pole, a pivotally mounted butt-clamping member at one end of said carrier member having a transverse roller movable into position over the butt end of said pole, and supporting means pivotally mounted at the opposite end of said carrier member, including transversely spaced means forming a seat for the portion of the sh pole intermediate the butt-end and reel seat thereof, said last-named means being frictionally clamped in position to provide for predetermined elevation of said pole.

f ALLEN M. DAVIDSON. 

